HIGHLIGHTS ON RESEARCH
ACTIVITIES AT KMFRI
BY
DR. ENOCK WAKWABI,
DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
KMFRI INLAND WATERS RESEARCH
DIVISION,
KMFRI HEADQUARTERS, MOMBASA.
KENYA
KENYA MARINE AND FISHERIES
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
P.O. Box 81651
MOMBASA
Tel.
254-41-475157
Fax.
254-41-475157
E-mail. director@kmfri.co.ke
KENYA MARINE & FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE
(KMFRI)
KMFRI: Brief History and Mandate
Brief
History and Mandate
EASTKMFRI:
AFRICAN
COMMUNITY
East African Marine Research Organization (EAMFRO)
East African Freshwater Research Organization (EAFFRO)
(Prior to 1979)
KMFRI
Act of Parliament, 1979
Mandate: Research on;
Marine and Freshwater Fisheries;
Aquatic Biology;
Limnology;
Environmental Chemistry;
Aquaculture;
Physical and Geological Oceanography.
Vision statement
In 2010, KMFRI developed a “Strategic
Plan 2010/15” with a renewed and reinvigortated vision:
“To be a centre of excellence in aquatic
research and promotion of wise and
sustainable use of marine and freshwater
resources in Kenya in order to meet
national challenges of food security, poverty
alleviation and economic growth”
Mission statement
And mission “To contribute to the
management and sustainable
exploitation of aquatic resources and
thus alleviate poverty, enhance
employment creation and food security
through multidisciplinary and
collaborative research in both marine
and fresh-water aquatic systems”.
STRATEGY OF REALIZING
THE MISSION
Through:
1. Annual Performance Contracting
Targets.
2. Manpower development
3. Development of strategic partnership
both locally, regionally and
internationally.
4. Development of strategic programs
with achievable objectives of national,
regional and international importance
ORGANIZATION
 THREE
DIVISIONS:
– Marine and Coastal Division.
– Inland Waters Division.
– Aquaculture (Both Inland and Coastal).
 THREE
RESEARCH CENTRES
– Mombasa.
– Kisumu.
– Sagana.
KMFRI’S CENTERS AND STATIONS
Scientific Manpower
Marine &
Coastal
Research
Division
Inland water
Research
Division
Aquaculture
Research
Division
PhD
14
3
3
Msc
23
24
16
Bsc
10
7
10
Total no. of
Scientists
=110
Infrastructural capacity
4
Research vessels
–RV
–RV
–RV
–RV
Ufumbuzi-15 scientists plus crew
Utafiti-10 scientists plus crew
Omena-6 scientists plus crew
Fuani-6 scientists plus crew
 Conference facilities (Mombasa and
Kisumu)
Equipped laboratories
Library and Database centres
Aquarium for education and dissemination
Infrastructural capacity (cont.)
Marine
service Center (Msa)
Offers:
-Offices for Projects
-Auditorium with catering facilities.
-Marine & Coastal Information services
-Plan to expand for accommodation to visiting
scientists and students.
National Aquaculture Centre in Sagana.
International Centre for Nile Perch
Research (Kisumu).
1. Fisheries Programme
 96 % of fish landed from L. Victoria (Kenya has only 6%).
• 600km coastline
 Potential from the coast not yet exploited: 200nM and 150 nM
more (UN request)
Challenges Marine and Coastal
Fisheries
Mostly artisanal
Unknown Potential near-shore/off-shore
INACCESSIBLE
On – going Fisheries research
activities in Marine and Coastal
Out – come / out
 Project areas division.
puts

-Malindi –
Ungwana Bay
surveys.
-South coast
expeditions.
-South-West Indian
Ocean Fisheries
Project (SWIOFP)
-CAS
-Resource (specific)
mapping.
-Resource (specific)
management plans.
-Resources use / user
conflicts reduced /
resolved.
-Joint fisheries
resource management
and research
strategies.
On – going Fisheries Research in the Inland
Waters.
Project areas
 Fish stocks
assessment of
Lakes Victoria,
Turkana, Baringo
and Naivasha.
 CAS and Frame
surveys.
Challenges
-Over –exploitation
and declining stocks in
the Lakes Victoria,
Baringo and Naivasha.
-Resource use / user
conflicts.
-Remote and
inaccessible L.
Turkana.
-Lack of capacity and
limited funding.
On – going Fisheries Research in the
Inland Waters.
Resarch actions
 Resource distribution
mapping.
 Expeditions and
Exploration of new
resource areas.
 Ecosystem and
Resource specific
Management plans,
e.g. Lake and species
specific.
 Collaboration.
 Research Vessel.
Out – come / out puts
 Fish breeding and
stocks distribution
mapping.
 Management Plans.
 Joint Research and
Management
strategies.
2. Aquaculture
Under-developed: ~ 4.000 MT/a
 Fish farming as an enterprise– incomes and
employment:
Sensitisation and training of farmers.
Aquaculture systems and suitability
mapping
Pond construction and management
Quality Seed production
Feeds formulation and
production

Aquaculture
Research focus
(areas).






Quality seed
production.
Quality affordable
feeds supply.
Fish husbandry and
entrepreneurship.
Live feeds (e,g
Artemia) production.
Sea weed production.
Crab farming.
Actions
 Molecular biology and
breeding experiments.
 Broodstocks
management.
 Feeds formulation and
production
technologies.
 Ponds construction
and management.
 Cage farming trials.

Farmer training.
Aquaculture
Challenges
 Very low growth of
Aquaculture due
lack of certified
seed and feeds.
 No farmer morale.
 Lack of policy
directions
Out –come / outsputs
 Government stimulus
programme with fish
ponds and dams
countrywide.
 Certified hatcheries
and fish feeds
manufacturers.
 Expected clad from
farms especially in the
non-fish eating
communities..
 Strategy in place.
2. Successful Aquaculture
 Seaweed
farming
– Pioneering nursery trials
– Commercial farming with
local communities
– Value addition: Local
Processing to max. benefits
Seaweed Farming
Value addition: Local Processing
Seaweed Farming
Value addition: Local Processing
Seaweed Farming
Value addition: Local Processing
Seaweed Farming
Value addition: Local Processing
Successful Aquaculture (contd)

Artemia production
– To support live
feeds development
programme for both
inland and coastal
aquaculture.

-Tilapia and Catfish
production
– Especially promoted
in the inland and
coastal land based
aquaculture.
3. Environment and Ecology
Critical habitats: Research activities mangroves
and tidal flats, seagrass beds, coral reefs,
benthic ecology, river mouths and wetlands
 Water, sediment quality and aquatic
productivity: Comprises environmental
chemistry, microbiology and plankton studies
 Physical processes: This unit investigates
bathymetry and hydrodynamics, monitors sea
level dynamics, and climate change related
issues.
 Climate Change: Mitigation vs Adoption.

– Global warming and sea level rise
– Carbon markets.
– Ecosystem services
. Environment and Ecology
Ecosystem Research
. Environment and Ecology
Ecosystem Research
. Environment and Ecology
Ecosystem Research
. Environment and Ecology
Ecosystem Research
. Environment and Ecology
Ecosystem Research
.Ecosystem connectivity
Isotope analyses –specialized lab.
. Environment and Ecology
Physical processes
. Environment and Ecology
Physical processes
. Environment and Ecology
Physical processes
. Environment and Ecology
Physical processes
Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate Change
. Environment and Ecology
Water quality
– Beach water quality
– Freshwater quality
– Use of mangroves as
bio-filters.
- Water & Sediment
quality.
4. Natural Products and Post‐harvest Tech
 Natural Products: Not developed 4. Natural Products and Post‐harvest Tech
 Natural Products: Not developed 4. Natural Products and Post‐harvest Tech
 Natural Products: Not developed 5. Socio‐economics
5. Socio‐economics
5. Socio‐economics